12 Days of Christmas With My Brother’s Rival

4 — OF NACHOS AND REGRETS

ANAHERA

“Is that right, baby?” Noel asks quietly. “The ugly boy.”

“Yes.”

He laughs. It’s harsh this time. “That’s rich coming from you. You talk about ugliness? Maybe you should ask your brother about ugliness, Anahera. Ask Saint Dominik how he treated people who didn’t have a big brother to protect them. Ask him what he did to the kids who had holes in their sneakers.”

I freeze. “What the hell are you even talking about?”

“Ask him. Oh wait. You won’t. Because in your eyes, big bad Dominik is the hero, and I’m just the villain who dared to be better than him.“

Defensive rage blinds me as I yell back, “Dominik is a good man! He has never been cruel. He works hard. He didn’t get handed everything on his silver platter like you. He worked for it. He protects people.”

“He protects you,“ he corrects. This time his tone drips with venom. “There is a difference.”

“I am not doing this. I refuse to work with you.”

I turn around and march towards the door. My hands are shaking so badly. I can barely grip the strap of my bag.

“You walk out that door, Anahera Kallio, and you’re breaching a contract. Dr. Tiare won’t be happy,” he calls out lazily from behind me.

I spin around, my hand on the door knob.

“I don’t care about the contract and I sure as hell don’t care about your injury. You want to play games? Fine. But play them alone. You are a pompous asshole, Noel Rautio. And honestly? You can go crippled for all I care. I hope you never skate again. I hope you never get to play your stupid game ever again because frankly, the world would be a better place without your face on every screen!”

The silence that follows is deafening. Noah doesn’t blink. He just stands there, watching me with an unreadable expression.

“Get out,” he says darkly.

“With pleasure.”

I yank the door open and storm out, slamming it with enough force to rattle the frame. My heels click furiously against the floor as I march down the hallway.

Needing to burn off the adrenaline coursing through my veins, I ignore the elevator and take the stairs.

I run down three flights before I realize how stupid that is and switch to the elevator, tapping my foot impatiently, the whole way down.

When I burst out of the lobby and into the cold winter air, I feel like I’m going to explode.

I unlock my car, throw my bag into the passenger seat and slide behind the wheel.

My hands are gripping the steering wheel so tight my knuckles are ghastly white.

I failed. I failed my assignment in less than ten minutes, lost my temper and wished harm on a patient.

I am a terrible person. I am a terrible professional.

But most of all, I am just furious. I throw my head back and let it out.

“I HATE YOU, NOEL!”

The scream tears out of my throat, filling the small space of the car. Twelve years of pent up silence.

That is the first time I have ever lost my calm since I was thirteen years old and I have a terrible, sinking feeling that it won’t be the last.

***

My glass is the only thing that’s cooler than my temper right now, and even that is starting to sweat.

O’Malley’s is packed with glasses clinking and conversations but all I can hear is the echo of Noel’s words bouncing around in my skull.

Bella had to ditch me tonight because her daddy dearest refused to let her go yet. Now, I’m venting to a drunk stranger.

“He’s a monster. A literal greek-tragedy-level monster,” I hiss.

The guy delicately picks up a jalapeño. “Babe, breathe. People are going to think you are having a medical emergency and you’re the only one qualified to fix it.”

“I am having an emergency! A life emergency!” I grab my glass and take a swig far too large for a woman who needs to drive home later. “I walked into that penthouse thinking I was going to be a professional. I had my hair in a bun, babes. I was ready to talk about tendons and range of motion.”

“And?” He prompts, his eyes dancing with mischief. “Did the sexy, green-eyed skeleton have skin? Was he shirtless? Tell me he was shirtless.”

I get a brief flashback. “He was wearing sweatpants. Grey ones. The kind that…never mind. That is not the point.”

“Oh so what is? The outline of his morning wood through those— I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

I slam my glass down with a glare. “The point is, he chose me. He saw my name on a file and said ‘that’s the one I want’. Can you even imagine that?”

“Wait,” he pauses, a nacho halfway to his mouth. “He specifically requested you? The sister of the guy who broke his jaw?”

“Yes! He’s using me as a weapon to stab Dominik in the back. He literally told me he enjoys the look on my face.”

The memory of that gravelly voice that felt like a physical touch makes my skin prickle. I hate it. I hate that I can still feel the heat of him.

“What look?” He links his purple painted fingernails and squints, leaning forward.

“The look of someone who wants to commit homicide!”

He releases a dramatic gasp, despite how stupidly drunk he is. “That’s a low blow. Did you cry?”

“I told him off. I told him that wealth and fame cannot hide how ugly a person is on the inside. Then he tried to turn me against my own brother!”

“How dare he! And what did you do?”

“I told him… I hoped he stayed crippled,” I whisper as the weight of the words finally hits me. “I told him I hope he never skates again. And that the world is better off without his face on every screen.”

The guy’s jaw actually drops this time. “You did not.”

“I did. I completely, utterly lost it. I haven’t screamed at someone like that in over a decade. I’m supposed to be a professional and have empathy.”

“Well,” he takes another damning sip of his drink. “In your defense, most patients don’t tongue-wrestle you the night before their first appointment. I think there is a loophole for that.”

I bury my face in my hands. “There is no loophole for being a b***h! My supervisor is going to fire me. My brother is going to kill me for keeping it a secret and that bastard is just going to sit up there in his glass castle and laugh at me.”

“I think you both should meet and talk about it. Clear things up. In that way, you keep your job and he keeps his legs. Win-win.”

The memory of his lips on mine comes to mind again and I sigh, helplessly. “God! The way he kissed me felt so unreal. I just want to grab him by the shirt and…and…make that moment last so I can get him out of my system. Is that right?”

“Um, no offense soul sis. Maybe I’m high off my mind but this Adonis of a man has been staring at you since you got in here and I don’t think it’s for the right reason.”

“W-what?” I turn my head and true to his drunken words, Noel Rautio’s eyes are on me, pinning me to the f*****g chair.

He heard every flipping thing I said.

Fuck me.